Garbage grinder with leakage shield



Oct. 16, 1956 LOCKLEY ETAI- 2,766,943

GARBAGE GRINDER WITH LEAKAGE SHIELD Filed Jan. 7, 1953 IN VEN T 0R5 $916 A. (ac/(1.67 y Passer Aozo In ca xlrroeys United States Patent GARBAGE GRINDER WITH LEAKAGE SHIELD Harry L. Lockley, New Castle, Pa., and Robert C. Koslo, Parina, Ohio, assignors to Lockley Machine Company, New Castle, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 7, 1953, Serial No. 330,091

Claims. (Cl. 241-46) This invention relates to waste disposal devices of the comminuting type frequently referred to as garbage grinders, and more particularly, to an improved form of grinder of this kind.

Such garbage grinders usually comprise an upright housing defining a vertical-axis grinding chamber located above a transverse bottom wall, and an electric motor at the lower end of the housing and drivingly connected with a rotor located in the grinding chamber by verticalaxis shaft means extending through the bottom wall. Packing means associated with such bottom wall and shaft means has heretofore been relied upon to prevent leakage of liquid out of the grinding chamber. When the packing becomes worn, leakage does occur, however, and because of the location and close proximity of the electric motor, liquid has, at times, found its way into the motor and caused short-circuiting of its windings and other damage.

The present invention is concerned with this problem, and as one of its objects, aims to provide an improved garbage grinder having shielding means therein for shielding the electric driving motor from liquid which may leak from the grinding chamber.

Another object is to provide an improved garbage grinder of the kind having a vertical-shaft electric driving motor direct connected with a vertical-axis grinding device at the lower end thereof, and in which the motor shielding means includes a deflecting member or slinger disposed between the grinding device and motor and rotatable with the motor shaft.

A further object is to provide an improved garbage grinder of the character mentioned in which the housing of the vertical-axis grinding device has a pocket in the underside thereof, and in which the motor shielding means includes a generally conical portion extending into such pocket in surrounding relation to the motor shaft and a deflecting disk extending transversely across the upper end of such conical portion and mounted on the motor shaft for rotation in the pocket.

Still another object is to provide an improved garbage grinder of the kind above referred to, in which the generally conical portion of the shielding means is a portion of. an at nular bracket which serves to connect the motor housing with the grinder housing and also defines a leakage collecting channel immediately below the pocket.

-und spans the intercr housing and the motor veiling beta housing.

The invention be further briefly summarized as consisting in certain no :1 combinations and arrange ments of parts hereinafter described and particularly et out in the claims hereof.

in the accompanying sheets of drawings, forming a part hereof:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing a garbage grinder embodying the novel construction and with portions of the device broken away;

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the motor mounting and shielding bracket in detached relation; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken through the bracket ndicated by section line 3-3 of Fig. 2. he improved garbage grinder it is a grinder of the upright or vertical-axis type and comprises a grinding unit 11 and an electric driving motor 12 directly connected with the grinding unit at the lower end thereof. The garbage grinder 10 is here shown as being connected with the bottom wall 13 of a kitchen sink, or the like, in suspended relation thereto by means of a flanged coupling 14 having a threaded connection 15 with the grinder unit. The coupling 14 draws the grinder unit 11 upwardly toward the bottom vall i3 and inst a suitable packing ring an inlet 17 through which the g". the grinding unit.

housing iii includes tra a depending am uii 13 is provided with an outlet open charge of comminuted material and w. ing communicates with the delivery 1:? g or nozzle 25' carried by the housing section The rotor 22"; is ike member o rable the grinding chamber l wall 21 and having an t tively close-running to 1. housing 13. The rotor is provided on t. thereof with one or more i tions constitn rig shreddi..g and -.npelling iii-Blflfinj which are effective on the garbage t oduced into the grinding chamber 19.

As shown in Fig. l, the rotor is in vertical shaft 29 of the e 'ric motor shaft extends upw rdly through the through a substant.

The rotor 24 is he extends downwardly secured to the she Mien itcd on the I and which et 23 and the bottom ral opening 3t) of wall 2i.

pending sleeve portion on com here shown as being a shredding sc material from the grinding chamber until the material has been shredded or ground to a desired fit eness. The shredding screen is more fully disclosed and is claimed in copending patent application Serial No. 32%,954, filed January 7, 1953.

Leakage of liquid downwardly out of the grinding chamlie 19 around the drive shaft means of the rotor is minimized or prevented by a su-table packing 33. Tie packing 35 is here shown as being located between the rotor 2i) and the bottom well 21 and in surrounding relation to the shaft means with the upper end of the packing extending into a countcrbore 36 of the rotor and the lower end of the packing seated in a counterbore 37 of the bottom wall.

The driving motor 12 is supported by the grinding unit 11 as by being connected in suspended relation to the lower end of the grinder housing 18. This connection between the driving motor and the grinding unit 11 can be formed by having the housing 38 of the motor connected directly to the depending flange 22 of the grinder housing, but preferably, the motor is connected with the grinding unit by means of an annular bracket 40 interposed therebetween. The bracket 40 is here shown as being a sheet metal member having an axially extending outer rim or flange 41 and an axially extending generally conical open-ended central hollow portion The flange 41 and the central conical portion 42 are integrally connected by a flat annular intermediate web portion 43 and define an upwardly facing annular channel or leakage collecting chamber 44 located immediately below the outer wall of the pocket 23.

The bracket 40 is disposed with the flange 41 thereof extending upwardly in telescoping relation around the flange 22 of the grinder housing 18 and secured to the latter flange by screws 45. The motor 12 is connected with the bracket 40 by having one end of the motor housing 38 secured against the flat annular web portion 43 by suitable screws 46. The conical portion 42 of the bracket 49 forms a shield over the upper end of the motor housing 38 and is provided at its upper end with a relatively large opening 47 which accommodates the projecting bearing boss 48 of the motor housing.

As another important feature of this invention, the improved garbage grinder 19 is provided with a deflecting member 49 in the form of a disk located in the pocket 23 below the opening and in surrounding relation to the shaft 29. The disk 49 forms a combined deflector and slinger member for liquid which may leak from the grinding chamber 1% past the packing and drip from the opening 30. Any such leaking liquid will fall on the disk 49 and by reason of the fact that this disk extends transversely across the opening 47, it will prevent the liquid from passing downwardly onto or into the motor housing 33 where it could cause short-circuiting of the motor windings or other damage.

If the leakage of liquid from the grinding chamber 19 occurs while the motor 12 is not in operation, it will flow substantially radially across the upper surface of the disk 49 and will drip from the outer edge thereof into the leakage collecting channel 44. If the leakage of liquid from the grinding chamber occurs while the motor 12 is in operation, the disk 49 will act as a slinger and the centrifugal force to which the liquid will be subjected, will cause the liquid to be thrown outwardly against the flange 22 from which it will drip into the leakage collecting channel 44.

The disk 49 is here shown as being a molded member made of a resiliently flexible material, such as rubber, and having a contractible hub portion which surrounds and grips the shaft 29 for mounting the disk thereon and for connecting the disk with the shaft to be rotated thereby. The disk 49 tapers in thickness from the hub portion thereof to a relatively thin outer annular edge 50 extending around the periphery of the disk. This tapered shape also imparts an outwardly and downwardly sloping characteristic to the upper surface 51 of the disk which facilitates drainage of liquid to the outer edge thereof. The annular channel 44 also serves to collect the liquid which results from condensation, or otherwise occurs, in the pocket 23. The liquid collecting in the channel 44 flows therefrom through a drain opening 52 provided in the web portion 43 of the bracket 4%.

The connection of the motor 12 with the grinder unit 11 by means of the bracket 40, as explained above,

locates the curved end portion 53 of the motor housing 38 below and in spaced relation to the flange 22 with an intervening annular space 54 between this curved portion and the web portion 43 of the bracket. The liquid draining from the collecting channel 44 through the opening 52 flows downwardly into this intervening annular space 54. The drain opening 52 is located in the bracket 40 at a point which is olfset from the ventilation openings 55 of the motor housing, such that the liquid being discharged from the collecting channel will not enter the motor housing through these ventilation openings.

The garbage grinder 10 also includes an annular grille 56 in the form of a resilient metal band disposed in surrounding relation to the annular space 54 and vertically spanning the joint between the grinder housing 13 the motor housing 38. The annular grille 56 is provided with numerous small openings 57 therethrough which permit the passage of air for Ventilation of the motor 12 and also permit the escape of the liquid which drains into the space 54 from the leakage collecting channel 44.

When liquid flows from the openings 57 of the grille 56, it will be observed by the householder owning the garbage grinder 10, and he will thereby be made aware of the fact that liquid is leaking from the grinding chamber 19 and that the packing 35 should be renewed. The grille 56 is held in position by means of one or more fastening screws 58 securing the same to the bracket 40, and is of a vertical width such that its upper annular edge overlies and conceals the annular flange 41 of the bracket and its lower annular edge overlaps the cylindrical central portion of the motor housing 38.

The grinder 10 is here shown as also being provided with a vertical conduit member 5? secured to the unit externally thereof and providing a passage 60 adapted to accommodate electric wires extending between the motor 12 and a control switch 61.

From the accompanying drawings and foregoing detailed description, it will now be readily understood that this invention provides an improved garbage grinder in which motor shielding means protects the motor from liquid which may leak from the grinding chamber and which might otherwise cause short-circuiting or other damage in the motor. It will also be seen that the shielding means for the motor is formed in part by a supporting bracket which connects the motor in suspended relation to the grinder housing and in part by a deflecting member or slinger which rotates with the motor shaft and is located in a pocket formed between the grinder housing and the motor housing.

Although the improved garbage grinder of the present invention has been illustrated and described herein to a somewhat detailed extent, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not to be regarded as being limited correspondingly in scope, but includes all changes and modifications coming Within the terms of the claims hereof.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In combination, a vertical-am's grinding unit including a grinder housing, an electric driving motor including a motor housing and having a vertical-axis rotatable shaft operably connected with said grinding unit to drive the same, a one-piece annular sheet metal bracket coaxially disposed between said grinder housing and said motor housing and having outer annular portions connecting said motor housing directly with and in suspended relation to said grinder housing, said bracket also having a hollow central portion extending upwardly towards said grinder housing and defining an open-ended axial passage into which the upper portion of said motor housing extends and from the upper open end of which said shaft projects, said bracket defining an upwardly facing annular liquid collecting channel above said motor and surrounding said central portion and provided with a drain opening leading from said channel and located to discharge the collected liquid externally of said motor housing, and a rotatable transverse liquid leakage deflecting disk mounted on said shaft between said grinding unit and bracket and being of greater width than the opening of said upper end of said hollow central portion of the bracket.

2. In combination, a vertical-axis grinding unit including a grinder housing having depending flange means defining a pocket in the underside of said grinder housing, an electric driving motor including a motor housing and having a vertical-axis rotatable shaft extending through said pocket and operably connected with said grinding unit to drive the same, means connecting said motor housing with said flange means and supporting said motor in downwardly suspended relation to said ,grinding unit, said connecting means including sheet metal shield means having a truncated generally conical central portion extending upwardly into said pocket in surrounding relation to said shaft, and a deflecting disk located in said pocket and extending transversely across the upper end of said truncated conical portion, said disk being mounted on and rotatable with said shaft.

3. In combination, a vertical-axis grinding unit including a grinder housing having depending flange means defining a pocket in the underside of said grinder housing, an electric driving motor including a motor housing and having a vertical-axis rotatable shaft extending through said pocket and operably connected with said grinding unit to drive the same, an annular sheet metal bracket connecting said motor housing with said depending flange means for supporting said motor in downwardly suspended relation to said grinding unit, said bracket comprising connected portions defining an annular leakage collecting channel below said depending flange means and including an upturned peripheral flange in telescoping engagement with said depending flange means and a generally conical portion extending upwardly into said pocket in surrounding relation to said shaft, and a deflecting disk located in said pocket and extending transversely across the upper end of said conical portion, said disk being mounted on and rotatable with said shaft.

4. In combination, a vertical-axis grinding unit including a grinder housing having depending flange means defining a pocket in the underside of said grinder housing, an electric driving motor including a motor housing and having a vertical-axis rotatable shaft extending through said pocket and operably connected with said grinding unit to drive the same, annular sheet metal bracket means connecting said motor housing with the depending flange means of said grinder housing with an annular portion of the motor housing located below and spaced from said flange means, said annular portion of the motor housing having ventilating openings therein, and an annular grille extending around and spanning the space between said flange means and said motor housing.

5. In combination, a vertical-axis grinding unit including a grinder housing having depending flange means defining a pocket in the underside of said grinder housing, an electric driving motor including a motor housing and having a vertical-axis rotatable shaft extending through said pocket and operably connected with said grinding unit to drive the same, an annular sheet metal bracket connecting said motor housing with said flange means for supporting said motor in downwardly suspended relation to said grinding unit with an annular portion of the motor housing located below and spaced from said flange means, said bracket comprising connected portions defining an annular leakage collecting channel beneath said flange means and including a generally conical portion extending upwardly into said pocket in surrounding relation to said shaft, a deflecting disk mounted on and rotatable with said shaft and located in said pocket so as to extend transversely across the upper end of said conical portion, and a grille extending annularly around and vertically spanning the space between said flange means and motor housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,227,084 Sparks May 22, 1917 1,874,079 Black Aug. 30, 1932 2,089,066 Morrill Aug. 3, 1937 2,220,729 Powers Nov. 5, 1940 2,265,622 Basler Dec. 9, 1941 2,282,883 Powers May 12, 1942 2,428,420 Green Oct. 7, 1947 2,442,812 Jordan June 8, 1948 2,627,075 Benson Feb. 3, 1953 2,679,981 Eisinga June 1, 1954 

